The Eurovent and REHVA associations ask all the competent authorities in the EU and worldwide to recognize the production, distribution, installation, maintenance and repair of HVAC&R equipment as essential commercial activities and therefore exempt them from COVID-19 closing orders and restrictions of travel. HVAC&R equipment in particular supports critical infrastructures in the healthcare, cold food chain, data center and construction sectors. The prolonged shutdown of HVAC&R production activities could have serious consequences during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, cooling and refrigeration are fundamental in many applications in all sectors of the economy. For example, HVAC&R equipment allows the production, transport and storage of pharmaceutical and food products, supplies and conditions the air in hospitals and grocery stores and ensures the functioning of data centers and telecommunication infrastructures.

Several countries around the world, including Italy, have closed so-called non-essential activities to date. These measures include the production of HVAC&R equipment and components. The European HVAC&R market has currently lost at least 50% of its production capacity and is expected to increase in the coming weeks. Eurovent Market Intelligence data show that Italian factories alone supply about 20% of all finished products to the European HVAC&R market and over 40% in IT refrigeration and cooling.

These production stoppages could lead to shortages of supplies and services that guarantee the integrity of HVAC&R installations in critical infrastructures during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, both in Europe and in regions dependent on supplies from European manufacturers.

For the reasons described above, Eurovent and REHVA strongly advise regional, national and local authorities around the world to include companies active in the production, distribution, installation, maintenance and repair of HVAC&R equipment in the list of essential activities with reasonable exemptions from closures and travel restrictions. HVAC&R manufacturers must be able to guarantee a minimum production and guarantee the availability of components and spare parts.

Eurovent and REHVA also ask the EU and all its Member States to coordinate better to ensure the continuity of supply chains in critical infrastructures. While the industry supports all the activities and restrictions necessary to combat the pandemic, it also warns of the serious consequences of uncoordinated arrests.